Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse predicted this week that the hunger of some Magpies who did not taste AFL premiership glory last year might be crucial to this season's flag tilt and so it proved on Friday night.

In what was a closer shave than most expected, it took everything the Magpies had to escape with a three-point preliminary final win over Hawthorn and continue their push for back-to-back premierships.

But Collingwood could be the walking wounded this week as it counts the cost of victory.

Centre half-back Ben Reid played the last three quarters with heavy strapping on a thigh strain while ruckman Darren Jolly (thigh), and defenders Nick Maxwell (rib) and Ben Johnson (calf) could also be in some doubt for next Saturday's grand final.

"We're very hopeful they'll be right, but they were hampered tonight," Malthouse said after the match.

"We've got some work this week to get them up. None of them should miss but they're all pretty sore, it was a very physical game."

Full-back Chris Tarrant was as crucial as any player with his excellent job on Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin, despite the Hawks forward making the most of his chances with three goals, including a lead-changing beauty in the last quarter.

For Malthouse, the 58-year-old triple premiership coach who is handing over to his assistant Nathan Buckley at the end of the season, the emotions started to bubble over when he saw Franklin potentially snatch away his dream of claiming back-to-back flags for the Magpies.

"No, I didn't shed a tear. Almost. Oh, God," Malthouse said.

"The emotion at the end, only Buddy could kick that goal.

"At the time I thought we've worked that hard ... there was a couple of tackles made by blokes who had no right to make them because they were out on their feet.

"There's a couple of blokes out there who did something pretty miraculous and you can't help get emotional about it because they're just wonderful blokes.

"I've worked with some of these blokes for 12 years.

"It's one of those times when if it went the other way (as Rioli was pushing forward in the final minute) it's my last game.

"I just think it's coming to a finish. I've never been confronted with this scenario before.

"All of a sudden it's going to finish. You reflect too often, perhaps.

"Perhaps you starting to project too far in front to see what it's going to be like without football, without that cut and thrust.

"It's going to be very difficult to stop."

Vital contributions

Tarrant won most of his aerial contests with Franklin and, with Hawthorn having needed a huge contribution from their star forward, the veteran Magpie's negating effort was just enough.

Another of the three Magpies playing on Friday night who was not part of last year's premiership side, Leon Davis, also made a vital contribution.

He had an engaging battle with Hawks small forward Paul Puopolo for the first three terms, gathering plenty of the ball himself, while Puopolo also had an impact with a goal and a hand in some others.

But Davis, remade as a defender this season to earn All Australian honours, was swung forward in the final quarter, where he played a key hand in the Magpies' stunning comeback from a 17-point three-quarter time deficit.

After Collingwood key forward Chris Dawes kicked the first goal of the term, Davis brought the Magpies charge into full swing with a brilliant 50m left-foot goal from half-forward.

The pair both played in Collingwood's losing grand final sides of 2002 and 2003, with Davis also playing in last year's drawn grand final against St Kilda, before being dropped for the replay.

Neither of them had a big impact in any of those matches, but are now key members of the Collingwood defence; Tarrant after returning this year from a four-season stint at Fremantle.

It looked for much of Friday night like they would not get a chance to feed their hunger for premiership success next Saturday.

But now they get the chance to join their Magpie team-mates in the ultimate AFL triumph if they can help Collingwood down Geelong or West Coast in the decider.

It also gives the two veterans a chance to re-write their own big-game reputations, if they can play similar roles to what they did against the Hawks.

The third member of Collingwood's preliminary final side who has not played in a flag, Andrew Krakouer, had a much quieter night, with no scores or score assists.

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